Ragamuffin essentially suppressing tact (7)
I believe the answer is:
finesse
'tact' is the definition.
(I know that finesse is a type of tact)
'ragamuffin essentially suppressing' is the wordplay.
'suppressing' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue (the answer is suppressed or covered by the clue).
'FINESSE' can be found hidden inside 'ragamuffin essentially'.
(Other definitions for finesse that I've seen before include "Subtle skill; bridge ploy" , "Subtlety and tact" , "Adroitness" , "Artful management" , "Delicate manipulation of a situation - perhaps at cards" .)